We Said No Questions

Tuesday night I watched Casablanca for the 15th time and, again, loved it even more than before. Bear with me if you haven't seen it (and please see it soon!) but one moment stood out for me this time: in the flashback to Paris, Rick toasts Ilsa with a glass of champagne and then asks her about her life before she met him.

"Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think, huh?" he asks her tenderly. She responds with a modest smile, "We said, 'no questions.'" He nods assent and says his famous line, "Here's looking at you, kid."

Her line struck me because so often, I base my romantic interests on what is basically a resume. Oh, this guy went to [insert prestigious university], you say? He's from a very Catholic family and goes to daily Mass, too? And my gosh, he's cute? Well, stop the presses, I think I've found myself a crush. But that's not a healthy way to look at relationships, I think, and Ilsa's line opened up a wild new possibility for me. What about if next time I meet a nice guy, I don't ask him about his past at all, but just see what our interactions are like in the present and use that to determine if he's my kind of guy? I like the sound of that a lot. Maybe I won't be able to keep it up for long (let's be real here...) but I'll try to follow that strategy as best I can from now on. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, one more thing. Just for kicks, I'm taking part in Seraphic Singles' Thanksgiving challenge (have you read Seraphic Singles? Do! She's very funny and wise). As the only one of my sisters who hasn't been in a relationship in the past 6 months, I fear I'm due for my fair share of egging. I wonder, does it count if my dad recommends joining a convent, as he's been known to do? Anyway, it should be hilarious and I'm excited to see how many points I can get.

Happy Thanksgiving!